Who Is Todd Brassner? Trump Tower Fire Kills Bon Vivant Art Dealer

The four-fire alarm system at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, went off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Flames erupted inside the 58-story skyscraper, killing one resident and injuring four firefighters.

The man who died in the Trump Tower blaze was identified as 67-year-old Todd Brassner, an art dealer and a bon vivant.

Reports state firefighters pulled Brassner from the 50th floor of the building. As he was unconscious and unresponsive at the time, first responders performed CPR on him before rushing him to Mount Sinai West Hospital, New York, where he died.

Property records show Brassner bought his 50th-floor unit in 1996 from real-estate broker Dolly Lenz.

Speaking about his sudden death, Lenz said: “He was a lovely man. He couldn’t have been nicer. He was soft-spoken but strong-willed and opinionated when he was talking about art. He knew his stuff and he wanted you to know it too. He was very pleasant to be with.”

According to a report in the New York Times, Brassner had health problems and a 2015 bankruptcy that listed his apartment as having more than $3 million worth of artwork and other collectibles, which included a 1975 portrait of Brassner painted by Andy Warhol, a leading figure in pop art.

Reports state Brassner was trying to sell his unit since the 2016 presidential elections and the appointment of Donald Trump as POTUS brought more security and activity to the building. He, however, was unable to sell his apartment estimated to be worth $2.5 million in 2015.

Musician and music producer Stephen Dwire, who was friends with Brassner since they were 14-year-olds in Harrison, Westchester County, New York, said: “It haunts me. He [Brassner] said, ‘This is getting untenable,’ It was like living in an armed camp. But when people heard it was a Trump building, he couldn’t give it away.”

Reports state Brassner had liked to live an extravagant life till his health and bankruptcy issues emerged. His ex-girlfriend, Jodi Stuart said: “He led a very out-there life. Out there in sports cars, out there in rock ’n’ roll, playing Hendrix on guitar, bigger than life. We used to go to the Fillmore East and Max’s Kansas City. Todd got right in with the Factory and Andy Warhol. He picked em: Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol, Jaguars, beautiful homes, and beautiful women.”

Interestingly, Brassner’s apartment did not have sprinklers, which were made necessary in 1999 after two deadly fires in high rise apartments. It was then that New York City enacted a legislation which required a sprinkler system in most of the new residential properties and also in building’s that were renovated.

However, real estate developers including Trump fought the legislation. They said the sprinklers were unnecessary and added $4 per square foot to the cost of the apartment.

A spokeswoman for the Trump organization addressed Brassner's demise on Sunday and said: “We send our prayers and deepest condolences to Mr. Brassner’s family and loved ones."